'The Most Beautiful Goodbye': Noh Hee-Kyung's Most Demanded Work

Posters of the 2017 TV series (remake), the 2011 movie, the 2010 stage play, and the 1996 TV series of 'The Most Beautiful Goodbye' (Photos: Mydramalist, Bacaterus, Koreaherald)

Dedicated as a tribute to Noh Hee-Kyung's mother, The Most Beautiful Goodbye (1996) served as the first milestone in her career and grew to become her most memorable work.

Noh Hee-Kyung, a well-versed screenwriter, made her debut in 1995 with Mom's Gardenias, and The Most Beautiful Goodbye (1996) marked her first hit and renown in the television and film industry as it harbored two remarkable things. First, this series was intensely personal to Noh because she presented it as a tribute to his mother, who died in 1994, two years before its release. Second, it had a heart-wrenching story that left the audience with deep sorrow and heavy tears, leading Noh to her first Grand Prize at the 1997 Baeksang Arts Awards. The Most Beautiful Goodbye was subsequently adapted into a novel (1997), a stage play (2010), and a movie titled The Last Blossom (2011). Even in 2017, twenty years after the original series was released, a television company negotiated with Noh for a remake of this series.

So, how is the storyline of this series that it becomes an exquisite tearjerker? The story follows a staunch middle-aged mother, wife, and daughter-in-law, Kim In-Hee, who cares for every member of her family even though they always take her for granted. When her family finds out about her terminal cancer diagnosis, they begin to unite and appreciate her exceptional love for them. Although they know In-Hee does not have much time to live, they try their best to repay her lifelong sacrifice for them and learn to let her go, embodying the most beautiful goodbye for her.

The last version of The Most Beautiful Goodbye (2017) stars Won Mi-Kyung (In-Hee), Yoo Dong-Geun (In-Hee's husband), Choi Ji-Woo (first child), Choi Min-Ho (second child), and Kim Young-Ok (mother-in-law). As for previous versions, the character Kim In-Hee is also played by veteran actresses, including Na Mun-Hee (original series), Bae Jong-Ok (movie), and Jung Ae-Ri and Song Ok-Sook (stage plays).

Directed by Hong Jong-Chan, the remake version was initially scheduled to air on MBC to commemorate the original series. However, it was transferred to tvN, airing from 9th to 17th December, 2017, due to the MBC employees' strike.

Unfortunately, this four-episode series is not available on any streaming platforms. Nevertheless, Apple TV users can watch it through their set-top box. The movie version, The Last Blossom, is also available on the platform Prime Video.